12 Month Check-Up

     Today, Rylee had her 12 month check-up with Dr. Melton. She passed with flying colors. She's doing everything a child her age should be doing (crawling, pulling up and releasing, beginning standing unsupported, eating table foods and whole milk, saying at least 4 words [she knows about 7], communicating with hand gestures to be understood, obeying simple commands such as "No", etc). She weighs 19 lbs 9 oz and she is 31.5 inches long. She is in the 90th percentile for height and the 25th percentile for weight.

      Unfortunately, 12 month check-ups come with shots, 4 of them!! She got 2 in each leg; I'm just glad they didn't do it in her arms because I have a feeling that would've been a lot worse!! She cried, of course, when the shots were administered, but she quickly calmed down afterwards and has shown no signs of fussiness since. She always handles her shots like a champ! :)

      After the doctor visit, we went to Walmart to pick her out a potty so she could get used to seeing it, and it wouldn't be a big scary thing when it's time to begin training in a few months. She decided she wanted to ride in the cart standing up instead of being held by her daddy. She's such a goof!

     When we left Walmart, we went to Applebee's for lunch and Rylee behaved so well during lunch and did so well with her shots that we thought she deserved a treat! She got a couple of bites of their Triple Chocolate Meltdown, yum!!

Summertime Fun

     Yesterday, we started the day out by going swimming! Ryan, Rylee, and I and Liz and Kaden had a blast swimming and laying out in the afternoon sun. :)   

      We went home and let the babies take a nap and then Ryan headed to work and Liz and I and the babies headed to the park!! Rylee loves the park! She had a lot of fun swinging with her mommy, and I loved swinging with her, too!

      Kaden had fun, too! This was the first time he really played at the park. He liked the slide!! I think he is enjoying his mommy being on summer break just as much as she is. He is getting to do so much fun stuff with her everyday!! :)

    I know I am enjoying my break with my Rylee Love. It's not even July and I'm already dreading August. I so wish I could be a stay at home mommy. I would probably never stay at home, but I would always be with my buggy!! I love her so!:) 

     After we had a good time playing, it was time for a stroll! The babies love to be able to ride around and see everything, and Liz and I love the exercise!! I really need it, she really doesn't, but I don't like to do it alone! Haha! I was pretty proud of us, though. We walked over 2 miles yesterday! :)

     When we got home the kids were sweaty and covered in sunscreen, so it was bath time! :) They do everything together! Haha!

It's official; She's 1!

     Today my little angel turned 1!! I can't believe how fast the time has flown, but it also seems like she's been a part of my life for forever. Let's see... She wears size 3 diapers, she has 7 teeth with 1 more close to coming through, she wears size 12M clothes and size 4 shoes, and she eats infant/toddler cereal for breakfast, Gerber yogurt for lunch, and table food for dinner. We planned to go swimming for her birthday today, but the weather was yucky so we took her to Memphis, instead. 

     On the way to Memphis, we stopped at Chili's in Millington for lunch. Rylee sat in the booth between Ryan and I and played with a straw for most of the time. She ate her lunch and some fries from our lunches, too. :) Once we got to Memphis, we stopped at Target to get her a new toy box because she has way too many toys now to fit in just one toy box.

     Then we went to Wolfchase and she got to ride the carousel for the first time!! She had so much fun!!  She said "woo" and "wee" the entire time we were on it. She loved the motion of it, and once we got off she kept staring back at it wanting to get back on!!

          Aunt Liz and Kaden came with us and after we got off the carousel, Aunt Liz noticed a photo booth and mentioned it would be a good memento for Rylee's first birthday. She was right!! We love our goofy photo booth photos!! :) After the photo booth, we took Rylee to Dairy Queen and got her some ice cream (her favorite food)! I don't really let her eat sweets other than a small taste every once in a while, but she deserved some on her birthday!!! :)

     And then, when Aunt Mel got off work she came and met us at the mall and took Rylee on the carousel again!!! Rylee couldn't have been more happy!!

    All the excitement wore her out, and she passed out on the way home. I think daddy had a little too much excitement, too 'cause he was right there with her. :) I think Rylee had a wonderful day, and I know we did. I am now the proud mother of a one-year-old!!!!! :))

Rylee's 1st Bday Party and Father's Day

      Saturday was Rylee's first birthday party, she turns 1 tomorrow. I can't even begin to understand where the time has gone. It all happens so fast!! I got through her party only tearing up twice, so I think I handled it pretty well. :)

      The party went great!! I think everyone had a great time, and I know she did! She was so excited to see so many people she loves in the same place!! And she got some really good stuff, so she was excited about that, too!

     Rylee absolutely adores her cousin, Anna, but she hasn't gotten to see her a lot because we've been so busy. But they sure had a blast at the party!!! They played and played and played!! :) I love this picture because it looks like Rylee's making a silly face on purpose for it! :)

      When we sang "Happy Birthday" to Rylee she was kinda confused on why everyone was looking at her and singing and she did not take to the cake at first because I stuck her hands in it.

     But she quickly came around when she realized how good it was!! She ate almost all of her little cake. The only reason she didn't eat all of it was because I took it away because I didn't want her to make herself sick at her own party! Luckily, she didn't get sick and she didn't even really seem to get a sugar rush. She just took to it like it was any other food...

      After the party, Kaden and Rylee took a nap, and then Bailey, Anna, Kaden, and Rylee had an after party in the kiddie pool. The sweet cousins had so much fun splishing and splashing together!! :) I was so glad they were all getting to spend some time together!

     After the kids got out of the pool, we released Rylee's balloons so she could watch them float into the sky. I was kinda sad. Her first birthday party was a success, but it was over.

     At the end of the day, Ryan and I were putting all Rylee's new presents together in her room and she climbed into her old baby bouncer seat. It made me feel a little bit better about her growing up so fast that she still fit in it and enjoyed it. :)

     On Father's Day, Ryan got a sweet card from "Rylee," and we went to church. After a great sermon on Fathers, we came home and said goodbye to Mary, Alex, and Bailey. Then, we spent a quiet afternoon together as a family. :)

First Time in a Pool

      Today was Rylee's first time ever in a pool! Nonna gave Rylee a kiddie pool, and we blew it up and put it in Liz's yard for the kids to enjoy.

     Rylee was unsure of the water at first. She loves splashing around at bath time but this water was a bit cooler than her bath water and I think that threw her off a bit at first, but once she got used to it she was splishing and splashing to her heart's content! Kaden's Mimi was there to witness all the fun, and she helped Kaden get used to the water so he could enjoy the pool, too.

     Rylee and Kaden were so funny. At first Kaden just sat there and watched Rylee splash. He would grin every time she splashed some water on him. Then he got into the fun and started splashing. He has to do everything she does. :)

     Then they discovered the water toys. Kaden is teething so he found them to be wonderful chew toys, but Rylee had fun squirting them and watching the water that came out.

    And then trouble started. When Kaden pulled Rylee's hair a few times, pinched her, and bit her, she decided she had had enough time in the pool and started crying to get out. Normally Kaden plays pretty rough with her and she just plays rough back, but she hadn't napped well today, so she just wasn't in the mood!

    Overall, it was a very positive experience and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun. Plus, they were so precious in their swimwear!! :)

What Dust Can Do

      Yesterday morning Rylee had a fairly normal morning. She got up, ate, played and napped as usual. While she was napping, I vacuumed the house, I had no idea what trouble that would cause! She got up from her nap and played for a little bit while I vacuumed out her room, and she still seemed fine. We headed over to Liz and Brandon's house, and I noticed that she had some "eye boogers." I cleaned them out with a rag and let her go play. Not even 10 minutes later, I looked over at her and her whole eye was watering and covered in "eye boogers." It was so gross

      I cleaned her eye again and then the swelling started. Her eye just got bigger and bigger until it looked like she had a black eye. I started to get pretty concerned about how quickly things were getting worse, so Liz googled it. She found on a baby forum that this is common when a child is allergic to something. A food or perfume allergy would've made both eyes swell, so we figured out that it must have been something that got stirred up when I vacuumed. The website recommended that we put a warm, moist rag on her eye and hold it there. I did that and then I rinsed the eye with warm water when she took her nightly bath.

      And today, her eye is a little swollen, but not bad!! She seems to be about 90% better! I'm so glad! :) I just know she'll wake up tomorrow good as new!